Work is starting on a new multi-use bridge over the River Goyt linking Marple, Bredbury Green and Romiley, and linking to local and national trails. Work starts on the new bridge on 5th March and is expected to take 14 weeks.

The Civic Society have sent me some information about this to put on the site, infact (apologies to MCS) they sent it a good few days ago and I overlooked it. Basically, this is the information sent by SMBC to local residents near to the site:

Stockport Council will be completing an upgrade of the existing Public Right of Way which runsbetween Hill Top Drive and the proposed Chadkirk Bridge crossing of the River Goyt to bridleway satus(see attached plan). The path works will commence on the 24th October 2011 and are anticipated to lastfor 23-weeks. To provide appropriate welfare facilities and a storage area a site compound will be set upwithin the grassed area at the end of Hill Top Drive. This area will be restored to its original conditionafter the completion of the works. The approach paths will be closed from Hill Top Drive, OtterspoolRoad and the Dale Farm river side path for the duration of the works. To facilitate access to the worksite it will not be possible to park vehicles along the unsurfaced part of Hill Top Drive adjacent to theschool.If you would like any further information regarding the above works then please contact me on thenumber above.

I don't know about 'only' 280k that's my tax contribution for over 30 years to contribute to a bridge that will never get used.

I'm sure it will get used, people probably said the same about the Middlewood Way when that was first suggested. Come on Duke get out of your car and in the words of Norman "Get on your bike"

Victor M, I do get on my bike, most days in fact but I’m not going to go out of my way to use a bridge that will add 5-10 mins to my commute. I can’t see many who bother to get out of the car to bike into Stokport / Manchester willing to make a detour to use a bridge.

I don't know about 'only' 280k that's my tax contribution for over 30 years to contribute to a bridge that will never get used.

That's sloppy, Duke, although I suspect you posted without really thinking about it. You can't choose where your taxes are used. Otherwise, childless people wouldn't pay for schools or childcare, pacifists wouldn't pay for the armed forces etc. You can only choose where your taxes go by looking at the policies of the people standing for election. Even then, it's very very broad.

Howard, The illustration of my taxes being used to pay for something I don’t want was not the point, I’m fully aware I can’t pick and choose how it’s spent except through the ballot box (that is why the market is always more democratic) . The point is that an earlier poster said that on first look the bridge seemed a waste of money but having seen it’s ‘only’ £270k and the funds come out of a non council fund. My issue is whether that’s funded from my council tax or income tax, it’s all money that has been taken away from me by one form or another and ‘only’ £270k is more than most people pay in income tax in a working lifetime which suggests it should be spent very carefully.